Sifter



Patented Mar. 4, 1924.

UNITED STATES' Fries.

CHARLES W. HINCHOLIFFE, OF LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB OFONE-HALE TO FRANCES J. CRAIG, OF LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SIFTER.

Application flledJ'uly 23, 1921'. Serial No. 487,096.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. Hmon- CLIFFE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Lawrence, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an llmr' rovement in Sifters, of which the following escri-ption, in connection with the accom panying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to improvements in sifters and the object thereof is to provide a novel type of sifter which will prevent the distribution of dust during the sifting operation.

More specifically this invention relates to improvements in ash Sifters and its object is to provide a dustless ash sifter which may be easily operated and which will effectively separate the ashes from the coal and clinkers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pivotally mounted ash sifter adapted to be swung or oscillated in a vertical direction having means for retaining the unscreened material and provided with a fiexible'chute for delivering the sifted ashes to a suitable receptacle without permitting the escape of dust-from the material thus delivered.

A further object of the invention'is to provide a sifter ofthe character described with a removable hopper through which the material to be screened may be readily introduced into the sifter.

A further object of the invention is to provide an ash'sifter of the type described with a detachable sorting table adapted to form a continuation. of the, screen of the sifter and upon which the clinkers and coal remaining after the sifting operation has been completed may be moved and sorted, means preferably being provided to permit the discharge of the coal and clinkers into separate receptacles.

Other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and the annexed drawings and will be particularlypointed out in the accompanying claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a sifting mechanism embodying my invention, illustrating also the means for delivering the material passing through the screen, into a receptacle and also showing in dotted linesthe siftingdevice' in horizontal position with a sorting table applied to it;

Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the end portion of the sifting device showing the-sortingptable connected thereto; and,

ig. 3 is a detail View of a portion of the inlet end of the casing illustrating a preferred form of closure therefor and means for locking the same in closed position.

The present invention. contemplates the production of a substantially dustless Sifter for ashes and other materials from which it 7 is desirable to separate the coarseringredients from'the finer,

One of the principal features of the invention consists in providing a sifter which may be readily operated with but little'exertion and which will deliver the screened material into 'a suitable receptacle while preventing the escape of .dust during the screening operation. V p

In the preferred embodiment of'th'e invention disclosed herein the Sifter comprises a rectangular casing, having a bottom 1, sides 2 and a top 3,. which is separated into upper and lower compartments by a screen 4: of suitable mesh which extends in parallelism with the bottoml of said casing the upper compartment being adapted to receive the material to be screened and the lower compartment to receive the material which passes through the screen.

Preferably the end portion 5\' of the screen is" bent upwardly to engage the up per face of the top 3, thereby preventing the material to be screened from passing from that end of the upper compartment. The outlet end 6 0f the casing preferably is open so that the material which passes through the screenamay be readily discharged. The

casing preferably is provided throughout with a sheet metal lining 7 and the screen may be secured in place by angle irons 8 and 9 secured to the casing and clamping between them the edge of the screen 4, the end portion of the screen being likewise clamped between angle irons 10 and 1 1. I The lining of the casing thus prevents any escape of dust through the casing and the portion of said lining which covers the bottom of the casing provides a smooth chute for deliver ing the material passing through the screen,

while the angle bars serve to rigidly support the screen and also to strengthen the casing.

The top. portion of the casing preferably is cut away to provide an inlet and the sides 2 are cut away at the inlet end to provide inclined portions 12 to form a seat for the closure for the upper end of the casing. The closure desirably is in the form of a sheet metal door 13 having flanges 14 extending down along the sides 2 of the casing and provided with extensions 15 which are pivotally mounted upon studs 16 in the sides of the casing. The closure also is desirably provided at its free end with a flange 17 adapted to complete the closing of the inlet opening and preferably to rest upon the end portion of the screen 4. The casing desirably is pivotally mounted substantially midway of its ends so that it may be swung vertically about said pivot.

As illustrated herein blocks 18, secured to the bottom 1 of the casing, provide journals for a shaft 19 which is carried in the upper end of standards 20 suitably mounted in a base 21. The casing preferably is so balanced that it may be oscillated easily about said pivotal shaft 19, but preferably is so mounted that its outlet end will counter-balance the inlet end so that the casing will stand normally in substantially the vertical position illustrated in'Fig. 1.

A flexible chute desirably is secured to the outlet end of the casing for the purpose of conducting the material which passes through the screen to a suitable receptacle. As illustrated herein the flexible chute comprises a tubular casing 22 of cloth or other dust-proof material which embraces the outlet end of the casing and desirably is secured thereto by a wire or cord 23 which acts to clamp a turned over or hemmed portion of the casing into a suitable groove in the outlet end of the casing. The opposite end of the tubular casing may likewise be clamped by a suitable wire or cord 24 which is enclosed in a hem 25 of the casing about the mouth of a suitable receptacle 26 such as a pail or hod adapted to receive the material which passes through the screen.

Preferably a hopper is provided to enable the material to be screened to be readily introduced into the casing. A preferred type of hopper which is illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises a bottom 27 having upwardly extending, preferably triangular, sides 28, the bottom 27 being provided with a bracket 29 having extensions 30 adapted to engage the top of the casing or such portion of the sheet metal lining as extends over a portion of the cut-away top of the casing. Studs 31 may be provided to engage theupper edges of the triangular side members 28 of the hopper to hold the same removably in position.

In theoperation or the device the closure is first opened and the hopper 27 secured in place as illustrated in Fig. 1. The ashes or other material to be screened are then dumped from a hod or other carrier into the upper compartment of the device. The hopper is then removed and the closure or door for the inlet opening is swung to closed position. It may be conveniently locked in such closed position by a strap or hasp 32 pivotally mounted upon the end portion of the casing and adapted to be swung over the end of the closure as illustrated in Fig. 3. hen the inlet to the casing is thus closed the casing is swung or oscillated vertically about the pivotal shaft 19. This causes the ashes or other material lying upon the screen to be dumped first from one end of the casing to the other thereby rolling over the screen and causing the finer materials to pass through the screen until only such is left upon the surface of the screen as is larger than the meshes of the screen. The material which passes through the screen drops into the chute 22 as the outlet end of the screen is lowered during the swinging movement, The upward movement of the outlet end of the casing raises the tubular chute 22 toward a vertical position and tosses the material in it into the receptacle 26. Inasmuch as the ends of the tubular chute enclose the outlet opening of the screen casing and also the mouth of the receptacle no dust from the sifted material is discharged into the room. 7

When the sitter V is used for screening ashes it is desirable that means may be provided for separating the coal from the clinkers after the ashes have been sifted out. In the present invention a sorting table is provided which may be detachably secured to the inlet end of the casing. As illustrated herein the sorting table comprises a bottom 33 having sides 34: and an end 35. Arms 36,

secured to the sides 3& of the table, desirabl are provided with upturned ends 37 whic. engage pins 38 projecting outwardly from the sides 3 of the sitter casing. The end of the bottom 33 desirably abuts against the end of the screen casing so that the bottom of the table forms in efiect an extension of the casing. The sorting table is provided with a plurality, preferably two apertures 39 and 40 through which the coal and clinkers1 may be dropped into separate receptac es.

In sorting the coal from the clinkers the.

upon the screen is at the inlet end of the casing and consequently in position to overbalance the outlet end portion of the casing. The casing may then be supported in horizontal position by a suitable post 41 upon the upper end of which the bottom of the casing may rest. If desired a stud or shoulder 42 upon the post may be engaged by the strap or hasp 32 which may be swung down as illustrated in Fig. 1 to lock the sifter casing in horizontal position.

It will be understood that the embodiment of the invention disclosed herein is illustrative and not restrictive and that various changes may be made within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I calim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An ash sifter comprising a rectangular casing having an inlet opening at one end of its top, a closure for said inlet, an outlet opening at the opposite end of said casing, a screen extending longitudinally of said casing in parallelism with and spaced apart from the bottom of its casing and turned upwardly at the outlet end to engage the top of the casing, means pivotally supporting said casing substantially midway of its ends to permit a vertical swinging movement and a flexible discharge chute enclosing said outlet operable to clear the chute of the sifted material discharged from said casing.

2. An ash sifter comprising a rectangular casing having an inlet opening at one end of its top, a closure for said inlet, an outlet opening at the opposite end of'said casing,

a screen extending longitudinally of said casing in parallelism with and spaced apart from the bottom of its casing and turned up-' wardly at the outlet end to engage the top of the casing, means pivotally' supporting.

said casing substantially midway of its ends to permit a vertical swinging movement and so located that the discharge end of the 0215- ing overbalances the inlet end and a flexible disdcharge chute enclosing said discharge en 3. An ash sifter comprising a rectangular casing having an inlet opening at one end of its top, a closure for said inlet, an outlet opening at the opposite end of said casing,

a screen extending longitudinally of said casing in parallelism with and spaced apart from the bottom of its casing and turned upwardly at the outlet end to engage the top of the casing, means pivotally support CHARLES W. HINCHGLIFFE. 

